Adventure

Adventure is at the heart of any D&D campaign. Our characters will find themselves bound to a mythic journey of great scale, the details of which are yet to be determined. Our characters will deal with strange events, venture into new realms, battle monstrous enemies and unearth mysterious plots. As our characters continue their adventures through the campaign they will level up, honing their skills and unlocking new abilities. The more they embrace the adventure, the faster they will upskill. The higher their skill, the more challenges they will overcome. 

Where we begin...

Our five characters will begin their journey in the land of Illium. Whilst Illium has long been considered a rough and simple place of little concern to its Imperial overlords, the world is shifting restlessly on its axis. As the Age of Steel nears its twilight this unassuming corner of the known world will bear witness to forces not seen for a thousand years.
To find out more about Illium - its land, people, laws and customs - check out the main article here.
The first adventure will take place in the port city of Marmella, Illium's capital. Our characters are either locals or have arrived in the city for some reason, probably connected to one of the events taking place.

The Frontier

After a millennium of expansion humankind remains hungry for more. Three hundred years ago the Pearl Empire, having grown to dominate its surrounds, founded Illium on the coasts of the Far East. This colony has grown into a wealthy province but it still remains on the frontier of our Known World. Deserts further to the east are home to roaming warbands, giant lizards and sand witches. The forests of the south are inhabited by territorial wood elves. The seas are infested with serpents. Illium is a beacon of humankind's prosperity but it is beset on all sides by the wilderness. The wilderness is deadly and lawless, but it has always lured the human heart. Adventurers come from all corners of the Empire seeking vaults of buried treasure, the answers to the great mysteries, or the people and customs of a new society.
The frontier is also a place to hide. Illium is far from the decision-making of its Empire's dogma and decrees. It's Legionary garrison is stretched thin, it's banned gods still worshipped in the shadows. Druids and gnomes cavort in the forests and criminal enterprises are abundant in the slums of Marmella. Illium attracts all kinds of people.

Leagues

Our world is measured in leagues - with each league being equivalent to about five kilometres. Travel times are always pursuant to topography and events, though a group travelling by foot can generally walk twelve leagues a day. On horseback, around twenty leagues a day. Messenger pigeons can fly up to a hundred leagues a day in good weather and the famed isuca bird up to two hundred.
One can travel by foot on the road to different settlements and landmarks around Illium (the map of Illium is divided by a grid with each square representing ten leagues). From the home city of Marmella it takes roughly the following number of days to reach certain locations:

• Two days: Ferrport, Carkosh, Stonekeep
• Three days: Serry, the Shifting Dells
• Four days: Lagunam
• Five days: Fort Cradyn, Vertamont